


Reviving Osterra

by Dragonlingdar



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: End of the World, Exploration, Gen, Post-Canon, Post-Game(s), Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 13:32:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19831258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonlingdar/pseuds/Dragonlingdar
Summary: For 800 years, Osterra had been a forbidden continent, the epicenter of the apocalypse that had reshaped the world.  However, 800 years of rumors and warnings did nothing to deter Cyrus' intent to explore and uncover every single secret the continent concealed.





	Reviving Osterra

**Author's Note:**

  * For [microlm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/microlm/gifts).



> Your Galderapocalypse prompt was too interesting to not poke at, so here is my attempt. I hope you like this! 
> 
> As a side note, I am not your original creator, so I hope you will excuse my using characters other than what were expressly listed.
> 
> Because I am a relic: Nothing Octopath Traveler belongs to me.

800 years had passed since the world ended, and no one was exactly sure what it had been like before that. There were some ruins, some stories, but, for the most part, it was almost as foreign a world as the moon; however, everyone knew that it had started and ended in the forbidden continent of Osterra. 

Cyrus was determined to explore it to the utmost.

Cyrus had lost his job to a scandal that was completely fabricated, but which had cost him his housing and overall stability. So, he had decided to set forth and complete the wild, most likely pointless, and potentially fatal, adventure that he had daydreamed of his entire life. He had managed to pull a few other people into his fool's errand, but they also seemed either without purpose or had a purpose that lay within the depths of a ruined world. He had hired on Olberic Eisenberg for protection, H'aanit Dreisangdatter as a guide of sorts, and Alfyn Greengrass as a medic, since there was no telling what they would run into in the ruins of Osterra.

Olberic and he were former lovers who had never stopped being friends; Cyrus was sure that Olberic stayed with him half out of fear that Cyrus would accidentally walk into traffic while contemplating a yet-unsolved mystery. Exploring a completely uncharted territory was exponentially worse, so where Cyrus went, Olberic tended to follow.

H'aanit's father had disappeared into the wilds of Osterra for a few months and came back with tales of ferocious monsters, of untamed and untameable wilderness, of haunted ruins and the shell of civilization. It had taken him years to recover from an almost paralyzing fear the expedition engendered. His experience had only piqued H'aanit's interest, however, and she was determined to map out the country--planes and similar machines didn't work as they should in Osterran airspace--and catalog every beast and location. Only Cyrus had offered her the opportunity sincerely.

As a medical researcher, Alfyn had heard tales of miraculous cures that had been lost to humans along with Osterra--such as  _ grapes _ that could restore health--and had been driven to know if such was indeed true. No one would fund such a foolhardy expedition, however, and Alfyn took Cyrus' offer before Cyrus had even finished detailing the expedition. 

None of them had anything to lose, so, after scrounging up all the resources they could feasibly carry, they had caught the bus that would take them closest to the border.

"Our first stop will be Atlasdam," Cyrus told his companions as he shook out an  _ ancient _ map that he had copied from the university libraries. He didn’t know how  _ accurate _ it was, but it was the best they had to go off of. “According to legends, it was the center of learning in Osterra. If any place has information on what it was like prior to the apocalypse, I am certain that it will be there.”

H’aanit looked over Cyrus’ shoulder and walked her fingers along lines on the map. “I don’t know this measurement system,” she said in a thick accent that Cyrus found delightful and which puzzled others. “And I’m not sure how much of the landscape has remained the same. However, it looks like we’ll be coming into the northern section. It...it appears like there is a settlement here, although I don’t know what this symbol means.”

“I believe it may be a  _ shrine _ of some sort,” Cyrus said, flashing her a smile. “Can you imagine? We may be the first people to lay eyes on the religion of Osterra in roughly 800 years!”

“What does this text say, Cyrus?” Olberic asked and tapped a different symbol a little to the southeast of the shrine.

“Oh, well, I haven’t entirely translated the name yet, but it is a town and there is the word for ‘mill’ in its name. I haven’t quite gotten the first half. Something about silence, maybe?”

“Silence mill?” Alfyn said aloud. “Not exactly a cheery name.”

“As said, I’m not entirely sure of my translation,” Cyrus responded. “It does not help that I’m one of the few scholars on Osterra, so I can’t necessarily bounce ideas off of many people.”

“Well, you will certainly have enough primary source evidence to write the paper necessary to reclaim your good name after this...adventure,” Olberic said. 

“That is the hope!” Cyrus turned to H’aanit. “Could you tell us what animals we may be running into based on your father’s stories? I’m also glad to see that you brought a martial weapon with you, since I’ve heard that guns don’t behave well.”

H’aanit looked down at her bow and nodded slightly. “Well, if my father spoke truly...I’m not sure you’ll  _ believe _ me.”

“We are going to be walking into uncharted territory that somehow prevents the functioning of modern devices,” Olberic pointed out. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we ran into some sort of mutant frogs.”

“Funny you should mention that, actually,” H’aanit said. “Father did tell stories of frog-men.”

“Oh? How does that even physiologically  _ work _ ?” Alfyn asked, both incredulous and intrigued. 

“I don’t know,” H’aanit replied with a shrug. “He also mentioned that all manner of beasts had gained human or humanoid features. Cats, birds, lizards, and frogs, to name a few.”

Olberic looked  _ concerned. _ “Cyrus, stay near me when we travel.”

“Of course!”

“And Alfyn, if you could, too?” Olberic asked. “I know that you are looking to collect plants and other specimens, but I would prefer if you didn’t range too far from where I can easily protect you.”

“Aw, shucks, that’s nice of you!” Alfyn said with a grin. “But, I’m tougher than I look, I swear.”

“Nevertheless.”

“So, based on this map, there is quite a way between our drop-off point and Atlasdam,” Cyrus continued. “I think we might not make it terribly far on foot for the first few days--I am not, ah, physically robust--so why don’t we explore the shrine and see if the mill-village has anything interesting?”

“Hey, they more places we explore, the more plants and herbs I can collect,” Alfyn said cheerfully.

“A comprehensive map is a useful map,” H’aanit pointed out.

Olberic simply sighed. “Very well. Hopefully the shrine is somewhere protected, and even ruins will provide more shelter than the open road.”

“The map makes it seem like we will be walking through some forest as well as grassland,” Cyrus said as he peered more closely at the map. “And it looks like there  _ is _ a road, but it’s past the shrine. Oh, dear. We’ll be going cross-country for a bit.”

“Hey, that’s why I bought super-duty bug spray!” Alfyn said. “Galdera only knows what kind of insects live in tall grasses there and I’d rather not find out what kind of exotic and interesting diseases they have there first hand, if you get my drift, so we’ll always be boiling our water. Okay?”

“Perfectly fine by me,” Olberic said. “Do you think we may be able to get to the shrine within the day?”

“I believe the only way to know for sure is to attempt to reach it!” Cyrus said, his tone chipper enough that Olberic sighed heavily.

“We should rest up before we get there, then,” Olberic said and leaned back in the bus seat. “We’re end of line, so we don’t have to worry about missing our stop.”

“We sure got funny looks when the driver saw where our tickets were taking us,” Alfyn said and rubbed the back of his neck. “People really are superstitious about Osterra, aren’t they?”

“Part of our journey is to prove them wrong,” Cyrus said. “I wish to show that the only thing keeping them out is fear and nonsense!”

“I’m not so sure,” H’aanit murmured. “My father is no weak-willed man, and he came back scarred. I have also heard tales of people being driven mad, or not being able to make it into the continent more than a mile before feeling ill enough to turn around. Something in the continent is simply...unusual and a deterrent to exploration.”

“But it shall not stop us, hm?”

“No, it won’t,” H’aanit agreed. “Something that is unknown is feared, but once it is mapped out and understood, it loses its terror.”

“Exactly!” Cyrus said. 

“I am in a group full of curious, intelligent,  _ driven _ people,” Olberic muttered, “and have to make sure that they all  _ survive _ . Galdera help me.”

Cyrus patted Olberic’s knee in an attempt to comfort him. “Everything will be fine, Olberic. You’ll see.”

Olberic shook his head slowly, opened his mouth to speak, then sighed.

“Is something wrong?” Cyrus asked softly.

“I...it’s nothing. I’ll keep you all safe.”

“I have the utmost trust in your skill.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Olberic said. “Rest for now. The walk won’t be easy.”

Two and a half hours later, the bus came to a shuddering stop. 

“This is it,” the bus driver called. “Get out and get your stuff so I can get going.”

Alfyn stretched and yawned before meandering out, H’aanit a step or so behind him, followed by Cyrus, and then Olberic.

Cyrus moved away from the group before pausing in front in the middle of a pathway leading into Osterra, standing still while the others gathered their own things; Olberic had very firmly insisted on carrying Cyrus’ gear for fear that the scholar would pass out from weight and effort.

Osterra looked  _ exactly _ like the rest of the world, albeit maybe a little more untamed. In spite of the massive passage of time, the continent was still mostly uninhabited. According to those who had tried to rebuild, there was simply a feeling of...malice...that hung over the land and discouraged settlers.

_ I doubt any of the rumors are true, _ Cyrus thought as the wind ruffled his hair.  _ People enjoy making up scary stories. I’m sure that there might even be an entire advanced civilization that we simply do not have access to! It is said that they were able to use  _ magic _ , so perhaps... _

“Oh, this is so exciting!” Cyrus said as the rest of the group joined him. “Shall we off?”

“Yup!” Alfyn said and looked out ahead of them. “Time for an adventure!”

“Just don’t try every grape you see to check if it is a ‘healing’ one,” H’aanit said as she took point, “and we’ll all be fine.”

“Hey, give me a  _ little _ credit,” Alfyn said as he followed behind.

“After you,” Olberic said and gestured that Cyrus proceed him.

Cyrus gave him a bright smile before following after Alfyn, Olberic pulling up the rear.

The four of them walked at a leisurely pace--there was no schedule to follow, and the journey was quite literally more important than the destination. Cyrus had heard that the previous explorers had all known the  _ exact _ moment when they passed into Osterra, but Cyrus felt...well,  _ fine _ , even when he was sure they had left the border far behind. None of his companions seemed worse for the walk, either, although Alfyn  _ was _ picking every unfamiliar-looking plant and carefully wrapping them before placing them in his bag. 

H'aanit's sharp eyes scanned the horizon as she sketched rough features on a large pad of paper she had brought with her, and she was the one who set their pace. Cyrus was comforted by Olberic's presence at his back. While Cyrus was all for the quest for truth and knowledge, the only time he had gone ‘camping’ was when his family rented a cabin when he was a child.

"This is actually quite lovely," Cyrus said. "People really turn back?"

"I find myself perplexed as well," Olberic murmured. "I had expected far worse, and yet…"

The wilderness had reclaimed much of what civilization there may have been, forest and grassland stretching unbroken before them. They had rations for a few days, until H'aanit learned to properly hunt and prepare the local wildlife--Alfyn was to  _ collect _ the plants only, as none of them wanted to run the risk of poisoning. 

It was more walking than Cyrus had probably ever done in his life, but instead of each step proving more exhausting than the former, Cyrus found himself...invigorated. There was something in the air, or maybe in the earth, that made his blood sing and his hands tingle. His body was still tiring, but his mind was clear and  _ focused _ . 

There were secrets in Osterra, and he  _ would _ uncover them.

Cyrus caught Olberic playing with the sword he had strapped to his waist, discomfiture flitting across his face. Cyrus had been astonished to find that Olberic had a functional sword  _ at all _ , but would admit there were some things about the man that even  _ he _ didn’t fully know.

“Olberic?” Cyrus said and nudged Olberic, making the man look at him. “Is something the matter?”

Olberic took a breath, but before he could speak, H’aanit said: “I know these lands. No, it’s not that I  _ know _ them, it’s that I...remember them. I remember what animals live in the forests nearby, that stalk the plains, and hide in the caves of this area. But...why?”

“It’s weird, right?” Alfyn said as he picked a plant by the base of its stem and twirled it slowly in his fingers. “I just got here, but...whenever I pick something, I  _ already _ know what it does alone and when it is combined with something else. How about you two?”

“I...there is  _ knowledge _ just outside my grasp, a strange kind of  _ power _ that I both know and yet have never encountered before,” Cyrus said. “If only I knew what it was. Olberic?”

Olberic shook his head slowly. “It’s nothing interesting. H’aanit, the shrine is in that direction, right?”

“Correct,” H’aanit confirmed.

“It’s getting late,” Olberic said. “While we could probably press on further, it is better to stop someplace sheltered than risk exposure.”

“A sound plan,” H’aanit agreed and lead them on at a slightly brisker pace.

The shrine turned out to be housed within a cave, which would protect them from the worst of the elements. 

“We do have some daylight yet,” Cyrus said as Olberic started to set up camp. “H’aanit, shall you and I go exploring?”

“I’m coming with you,” Olberic said, stopping his set-up.

“We all go together or we go nowhere at all,” Alfyn added.

Cyrus smiled. “Very well. I think...I think we want to go this way.”

Cyrus was the one who lead them on, following an allure of... _ something _ . Of the power he felt every time he breathed. It wasn’t what his soul craved, but it was a beginning, a teaser of more to come. 

Eyes of unfamiliar creatures watched them as they passed, but left them unmolested as they walked. The cave extended far deeper than Cyrus had anticipated, but eventually they reached a truly cavernous area. The walls seemed to sparkle with stars, the stone otherwise dark. In the middle of the dome-like cavity stood a stone statue.

H’aanit sped up so she walked in front of Cyrus as they approached, and reached the statue before he did. 

The statue was that of a beautiful woman. Time had worn away some features, but in one hand she held an upraised staff, and the other arm cradled a crystalline ball that somehow still  _ shone _ in the dim light. Her features were delicate, her expression sad even as her posture was defiant. 

“I know this woman,” H’aanit said, her voice reverent and terrified as she reached out to the statue. She slid her hands along stone cheeks, cupping the face. “Why do I know you?”

Cyrus stayed where he was and caught Olberic’s wrist to keep him from approaching H’aanit. Olberic looked at him, and Cyrus shook his head.

“Wait,” Cyrus whispered as Alfyn came up on Cyrus’ other side.

“I  _ know _ you,” H’aanit repeated again, frustration lacing her words as she pressed her palms to the statue’s chest. “What is your name? I know it! I  _ know _ your name!”

“Ophilia,” Olberic murmured, although the word was mangled and unfamiliar on his tongue, a language he only half-knew with pronunciations he couldn’t fully replicate.

H’aanit went rigid. “Yes. That’s the name. Her name. She’s  _ Ophilia _ .”

Light burst from the crystal ball and Cyrus had to close his eyes and turn away or risk going blind.

_ You have found the Starseer, _ a voice whispered in Cyrus' mind, an ancient, masculine voice.  _ But she is not enough to stand against the darkness. _

“Who are you?” Cyrus whispered.

_ Alephan, the Scholar-King. I know you, Cyrus Albright, and will give to you as much of my blessing as I can through time and space. Find me. Find us all. _

A map unfurled in Cyrus' mind, 11 other points of light glowing in specific places, locations that Cyrus knew he would  _ never _ forget. 

_ Revive us and we will revive Osterra. _

The energy Cyrus had felt in the air spiraled into him, through him, and left him breathless and  _ aching _ . A book opened in his mind, and words and sigils imprinted themselves in his soul, and he knew what each would do, how strong they would be, and how to harness everything. 

The light faded and Cyrus blinked quickly to try and clear the tears from his eyes; when the spots finally dissipated, it was to find H’aanit holding the statue in her arms--except she had become flesh and blood, pale skin and blonde hair, sky-blue eyes clouded in confusion as the staff hung loosely in her grasp, the crystal ball shattered around her and H’aanit. 

_ Oh, dear, _ Cyrus thought as he picked up a book that rested at his feet.  _ I fear that things have just become  _ much _ more complicated. _


End file.
